The Vatican and Occupy Wall Street Agree on a Just Economy

In the Center for American Progress's blog, Jake Paysour examines the shared priorities of the #Occupy, or OWS, movement and the note released by the vatican late in October. He notes the moral nature of our economic crisis, writing:

Although the Occupy movement did not begin as a religious effort, at heart it is a moral enterprise, based on the premise that it is unjust for our national economic sacrifices and rewards to be so unfairly distributed. The richest 1 percent of Americans own 40 percent of our country’s wealth and take home nearly a quarter of national income—a higher percentage than at any time since the 1920s.

Paysour cites several vatican statements regarding the undeniable link between moral and economic systems, and notes:

Over the decades, a number of Catholic social justice groups translated these words into action. NETWORK, a Catholic advocacy group founded in 1971, is running a campaign that encourages people to “Mind the Gap," referring to the wealth gap between the richest and poorest. By educating the electorate and lobbying political leaders, they aim to help shape policies that decrease poverty and build up the middle class. Other issues they work on include the social safety net, unemployment, and inadequate housing—all very much concerns addressed by the Vatican note.

Click here to read his full post, and here to read the full text of the Vatican's note.